Skylight



April 2, 1929. s. M. DICKSON SKYLIGHT Filed May 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR 'A TTORN April 2, 1929. s. M. DICKSON Filed May 2, 1928 2 Sheets Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS I Patented Apr. 2, 1929. r

SIDNEYM! C mQ firmness i' r isvavAm SKYLIGHT- Application filed May 2 1928. Serial No. 274,398.

This invention relates to skylights and more in particular to puttyless skylights.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide a skylight that can be made watertight on all sides of the glass-panels without the use of putty. nother object is to pro vide a skylight having provisions for collecting and draining of)? the water of condensa-- tion at the overlapping ends of the glasspanels without requiring expensive and light obstructing cross members, as nownsually employed'in skylights having such watercollecting means. Afurther object is to provide a skylight having relatively small units of glass which may be individually replaced without disturbing in any way the adjacent glass-panels Yet another object'is to provide in skylights --metal lic sealing gaskets, preferably made of lead, of special design which enables them to adjustthemselves very easily and with little pressure to the irregularities of the sheets oft-glass, thus insuring a watertight construction. Still another ob ject is the provision in a skylight of fastening means to hold inclined panels of glass against slipping out of place and which at the same time allow said panels to expand or contract freely under varying temperatures.

Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the principal features of a skylight built according to this invention.

Fig. 2 isa perspective view showing the main carrying bar and the; glass supporting bars, or saddle-bars, mounted thereon.

Fig; 3'is a fragmentary top plan view of the skylight structure, but with the caps removed.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a section through the saddle-bar.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a slightly modified-saddle-bar. j

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a so-called cap with an intermediate portion broken off.

' Fig. Fig. 6. 1

Fig.8 is a perspective View showing a por '7 is a section taken on line=7--7 in both sides outwardly to follow main bar a drain-gutter lead gasket used longitudinally on p of a glass-panel to produce a water-s proof seal between the saddle-bars,'capsand the glass panel.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a lead gasket for sealing the overlapping ends of the glass-panels and provided'with a cross gutter for collecting the water of condensation forming on tlie underside of the glass-panels. H

Fig.10is a perspective view of a portion of ahipped skylight built according to this invention. i Referring to the drawings, a skylight built according to this'invention comprises glasspanels G the upper and lower ends of wh ch overlap,'as 'sho wnin Fig. 1. These glass-panels are carried laterally bysupport in elements or rafters each of which consists ofa main carrying bar 1, made usually of rolled steel of T-shapedcross section, upon which is mounted bent sheet metal and the cross-sectional shape tion-of the the saddle-bar 2 made of of which is especially shown in Figs. 4 and s 5. As shown therein, the top portion 3' 'of the saddle bar has substantially the shape of an inverted 'U adapted to fitrather freely about the'web portionel'ofthe main bar 1. The intermediate portion of the saddle-bar is firstflared out horizontally at both sides to form thesaddles or seats5 for the support of the glass-panels, and then bent inwardly towardthe base of the web portion. "The lower portion 6 of the saddle isag'ain bent the top of the head 7 of the main bar and finally given an upward bend 8 which provides on each side'of' the 9. These gutters extend preferably beyond theedges of the seats 5 "to collect the water dripping there from. r T

jThe glass-panel-s are securely held inplace by means of the inverted, channel-shaped, caps 10 preferably made of nonrusting ma terialand which are fastened to the main bar 1 by the bolts 11' and the nuts 12, both or which are also preferably rust-pr0t f and usually madeof brass. The bolts are of special design and comprise each a threaded stud 13 and a clevis-shaped head 14 the bight of down and outwardly flaring legs 18 which terminate with horizontal outwardly directed flanges 19 which bear upon the glasspanels. The bridge portion 17 of the cap is spaced a suitable distance above the top of the saddlebar and, owing to the resiliency afiorded by the flaring legs 18, a yielding pressure may be exerted on the glass-panels, said resiliency acting also as a satisfactory locking means for the bolt-nuts. Suitable apertures 20 are provided in the cap at proper intervals to receive the studs of the clevis-bolts 11.

ing members is obtained by means of soft lead gaskets 21 cut in strips. These gaskets are placed above and below the longitudinal edges of the glass-panels, as shown in Fig. 1 and, in order to obtain a water tight seal without exerting undue pressure on the glass and gaskets, the latter are provided with two or more longitudinal beads or corrugations 22 which afford a more yielding contact surface with the glass. To further improve this con tact and enable the gaskets to conform more readily to the irregularities of both glass surfaces, thesecorrugations are preferably rolled thinner at the crown than thebody portion of the gasket, as shown at 23 in Fig. 8.

The glass-panels are preferably made short, relatively to the length or span of the main bars 1, in order to facilitate their handling and erection and to minimize the losses due to breakage. Moreover, the caps and saddle-bars are also made of substantial ly the same length as the panels so that a broken light may be replaced on the site without removing the caps of the panels placed above or below it. o The ends of the caps and saddle-bars overlap also in order to keep rainwater out at the joints, as is fully shown in Fig. 1.

The overlapping, transverse, ends of the glass-panels are made tight against water which might be blown up along the skylight by means of the transverse lead gaskets 24inserted between the overlapping ends of the panels. These gaskets are also provided with beads or corrugations25 running longitudinally and the crown portions 31 of which are reduced in thickness, for the reasons stated in connection withtl'1e longitudinal gaskets 21. g o o j The transverse gaskets are further provided along their outer edges with gutters 26 to collect whatever water might condense on the glass-panels or pass the sealed joints. These gutters incline toward one or both longitudinal supports spanned by the glass-panels to enable the water collected to run into the main gutterst). Although the cross-gas kets are made of relatively soft material, they will not sag, or their gutters lose their shape, on account of bein supported on their whole length by the underlying glass-panels.

In order to provide for the overlapping of the glass-panels, it is necessary that the depth of the saddle 5 and of the caps be varied gradually, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to furnish space for-the doublethiclmess of glass at the overlapping joint. Thus at the junction of two saddle-bars, the juxtaposed seats willv be stepped off, as at 27, Fig. 2, an amount equal to the thickness of one panel, plus the thickness of the cross-gasket.

. Experience has shown that the life of main I bars 1 made of rolled steel is greatly reduced The watertight sealing along the support on account of corrosion due to the condensation of water or acid vapors thereon and also to GlBCtlO-CllQH'llCfll actions, when the saddlebars, usually made of copper, are shaped ti ghtly about a portion of the main bars. To overcome this condensation, I prefer to mount the sa ddle-bar rather freely on the main supporting bar, in order to permit of a free circulation of air about the latter.

If desired, the all around clearance between the saddle-bar and the main supporting bar may be increased and positively maintained by. providing on the saddle-bar inwardly directed indentations or bosses 28 adapted to bear on the main bar 1 at suitable intervals.

This is indicated in Fig. 5 in which is also shown a main supporting bar having an additional downward web 29 to increase its rigidity, for greater spans, without modifying the dimensions of the saddle-bar and cap, as would be the case were the added strength of the main-bar obtained by increasing the dimensions, especially the depth, of the web porftion 4; of a T-shaped carrying bar 1.

In addition to the frictional engagement between the supporting elements and the glass-panels, the latter are held against downward sliding movement by stop lugsBO provided on the head portions of the clevis bolts 11 which hold the overlapping ends of two consecutive caps 10. The lower edgeof each glass-panelabuts against two stop lugs and is therefore positively held in proper position, but free to expand or contract under varying temperatures.

While I have illustrated and described herein the present embodiment of my invention, and one which I have found in actual use to be very practical, it may be found desirable after continued experience to make slight changes in the construction and arrangement of the details of my invention, andl intend to include in this application all such variations as fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim and adapted to suppo saddle-bar having inW rt :1 glass-panel, said ardly directed spaced indentations adapted to engage the main carrying bar to afiord clearance space for the circulation of air between said saddle-bar and 10 carrying bar.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature,

SIDNEY M. DICKSON. 

